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BRIEF: RIM sets Jan. 30 BlackBerry 10 launch event

Nov 12, 2012 (Los Angeles Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Can the BlackBerry smartphone make a comeback
Research in Motion, the troubled Canadian company that makes BlackBerries, has announced Jan. 30 will be the day it officially launches the first phones using BlackBerry 10, the next version of its operating system.

Blackberry phones, once considered state-of-the-art, have been widely criticized for not keeping up with portable devices using Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems.

RIM said it will hold launch events around the globe on Jan. 30 to mark the arrival of the much-delayed new operating system, which the company says has been thoroughly redesigned from what previously was offered.

"We are looking forward to getting BlackBerry 10 in the hands of our customers around the world," said Thorsten Heins, RIM president and chief executive, in a statement Monday.

RIM said it will announce two BlackBerry 10 smartphones at the launch events. They will come without RIM's signature keyboards and instead be touchscreen-only. Beyond that, the company has not offered other details.

The company has also said that the new phones have begun to be tested by more than 50 carriers around the world.

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